Latin America, Mexico, ca. 1920 CE. Painted on heavy gauge tin, this ex-voto depicts two brothers who were injured in an accident surrounded by three nuns kneeling in prayer with a charming countryside scene in the background and the crowned Virgin and Child above in the celestial realm with golden rays of holy light radiating from them. The inscription below is a bit faded, however the year 1920 is legible and it is possible to discern from the narrative that two brothers were injured in an accident. Size: 10" L x 7" W (25.4 cm x 17.8 cm); 12.875" L x 10" W (32.7 cm x 25.4 cm)
Ex-votos are little story paintings indicative of healing or blessing popular in Mexican visual culture. This tradition was inspired by the Greeks and was brought to the New World by the Spaniards. These votive paintings were hung in a church or placed adjacent to an image in order to celebrate and give thanks for the recovery of the donor from an illness or dangerous situation. In essence, ex-votos represent the spiritual or physical gains received by the donor. These paintings include hand painted passages that relate the details of the cure or the rescue. Typically, however, this commentary is replete with regional dialect and almost impossible to translate. Nevertheless, if you are familiar with the Spanish language, you will probably get the gist of these anecdotal paintings.
Provenance: The Estates of Olen Bryant and late Vanderbilt University art professor Thomas Brumbaugh, Clarksville/Cottontown, Tennessee, USA
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#146773
Condition
Expected surface wear with slight bending to corners and minor staining. One perforation at top center. Imagery is still clear. Inscription, while not easy to read, still shows the date 1920, and it is possible to understand that the story involved two injured brothers.